Method of making blower housing assembly

ABSTRACT

A method of making a blower housing assembly through the steps of forming the blower housing wrapper to extend in a curved shape and to enclose the blower blades which are powered by an electric motor or the like. Left-hand and right-hand end plates or heads are formed and attached to the wrapper to enclose the housing for directing the air therethrough. The heads are made from die sets which form an inner flange and an outer flange on each head and these flanges are facing in the same direction. The inner flange is cut away on one of the heads, is reversed thereon, and is reattached to that head so that the two end heads now have the inner flange facing toward each other. Therefore, only two dies are required to make the left-hand and the right-hand heads, as mentioned, rather than several or even five or more die sets.

United States Patent 11 1 Bulin 1451 Dec. 25, 1973 METHOD OF MAKING BLOWER HOUSING ASSEMBLY [52] US. Cl 29/l56.4 R, 29/416, 415/201,

415/206, 415/204, 415/219 C [51] Int. Cl B23p 15/00, B23p 17/00 [58] Field of Search 29/411, 412, 415,

29/416, 156.8 CF, 156.4 R; 415/201, 204, 415/206,219C;4l7/363 Primary ExaminerCharles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner--D. C. Crane AttorneyArthur .l. Hansmann [57] ABSTRACT A method of making a blower housing assembly through the steps of forming the blower housing wrapper to extend in a curved shape and to enclose the blower blades which are powered by an electric motor or the like. Left-hand and right-hand end plates or heads are formed and attached to the wrapper to enclose the housing for directing the air therethrough. The heads are made from die sets which form an inner flange and an outer flange on each head and these flanges are facing in the same direction. The inner flange is cut away on one of the heads, is reversed thereon, and is reattached to that head so that the two end heads now have the inner flange facing toward each other. Therefore, only two dies are required to make the left-hand and the right-hand heads, as mentioned, rather than several or even five or more die 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,698,833 10 1972 Cann et al. 417/363 3,616,518 11/1971 Hundy 29/416 3,554,557 1 1971 Fortune 29/416 2,948,055 8/1960 Baxter et a1. 29/415 2,776,088 1 1957 Wentling 417/363 sets. 2,710,573 6/1955 Marker 415/219 c METHOD OF MAKING BLOWER HOUSING ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a method of making a blowerhousing assembly which has a left-hand and a DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED METHOD FIG. 1 shows a blower unit having a conventional right-hand end plate or head plate on opposite sides of 5 electric motor with oppositely extending shafts 11 the blower housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Blower housings are made in different forms and through different processes and steps of manufacture, and one form of a blower is shown in U. S. Pat. No. 2,776,088. In that patent it is seen that the blower housing includes the scroll piece and the two sides at fixed to it, and the sides have the inner flanges extending inwardly on the lower housing, all for confining the usual blower wheel or blades.

Prior art blowers, such as the type mentioned above, commonly require at least several dies for stamping or otherwise forming the blower housing pieces mentioned. Where at least several dies are required by prior art processes, the time and cost of making the housing is more than required by the present invention. That is, in the present invention, the parts can be made by the use of dies, though only two dies are required. Further, the particular housing made by the method steps of this invention is sturdy and readily assembled and it can also be disassembled for removal of the blower wheel or blades from the housing, and thus the manufacture of the housing parts, and also the assembly and disassembly and servicing of the parts, are all distinguishable from the prior art and result in a stronger and yet less expensive and more easily manufactured blower housing assembly.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a method of making a blower housing assembly wherein fewer dies are required than the number of dies required for the manufacture of prior blower assemblies. In a specific instance, the present invention permits the manufacture of both a left-hand and a right-hand blower head but with the use of only two dies, rather than five die sets previously required in the manufacture of a blower housing having the same arrangement of parts and the same strength and size of housing with the same accessibility into the interior of the housing.

Other objects and advantages include the provision of a method of making a blower housing assembly which can be made with less time and less capital investment, and therefore at a lower expense, compared to the manufacture of similar housing according to the prior art.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through a showing of an embodiment of this invention made according to the described method herein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an end or head shown in FIG. 1 but showing it on a smaller scale.

F IG. 3 is a perspective view of the end or head which is opposite to that shown in FIG. 2, but showing it on a smaller scale.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the end or head related to that shown in FIG. 3.

and 12 which respectively rotatably support a blower wheel 13 and 14. The wheels 13 and 14 are of a conventional design, and they terminate in a plurality of fanning blades 16 which of course rotate under the influence of the motor 10 to create the desired flow of air, all in a conventional manner.

This particular invention is concerned with the method of making the blower housing assemblies 17 which enclose the blower wheels 13 and 14, as shown. The assemblies 17 include the housing wrapper 18 which is bent to form a curve in the form of a scroll, such as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 by the parts shown in those views, and the housing 18 is of a flat piece of sheet metal stock terminating in straight ends 19 and 21, as shown. In the conventional arrangement shown, air flows into the scroll type wrapper 18 and it flows therearound and exhausts out the open end 22 of the scroll wrapper 18, all in the conventional manner.

The housing assembly 17 includes end plates or heads 23 and 24 which have radially outer flanges 26 and 27 extending parallel to the wrapper housing piece 18 to be spot-welded or otherwise attached to the housing 18. Thus the flanges 26 and 27 reinforce the housing ends 19 and 21 to make the desired sturdy assembly. Further, it will be seen that the right-hand head 24, as viewed in FIG. 1, has a second flange 28 which is radially inwardly from the first flange 27, but which also extends to the left, as seen in FIG. 1. The flange 28 defines an air opening 29, and the flange 28 is disposed in the central portion of the head 24. FIG. 2 shows the head 24 from the side opposite from that seen in FIG. 1, and the outer flange 27 and the inner flange 28 and the central opening 29 are all seen in FIG. 2. Also, FIG. 2 shows the air outlet opening 31 which conforms to the opening 22 in the housing wrapper 18, as mentioned earlier. Thus it will be seen and understood that the head 24 defines a scroll case having an annulus 32 in which the blower blades 16 can rotate for the desired movement of air into the opening 29 and out the openings 22 and 31, as described.

The drawings further show that the left-hand head 23 has an inner flange 33 which is of the same size as the flange 28 on the opposite head piece. However, the flange 33 is directed to the right, as seen in FIG. 1, so that both flanges 28 and 33 are directed inwardly on the blower housing assembly 17. Still further, FIG. 1 shows that the flange 33 extends on a central portion designated 34, and the portion 34 is secured to the lefthand head 23 outer portion 36 by means of bolts 37. That is, the radially outer portion 36 is shown to be provided with threaded pieces or nuts 38 which are affixed to the portion 36 and the bolts 37 engage the nuts 38 and thereby clamp the inner piece 34 relative to the head outer piece 36, so that the pieces 34 and 36 are releasably attached together.

Therefore, by removal of, or in absence of the bolts 37 and the inner piece 34, the blower wheel 13 can be removed from the housing 17. Conversely, the wheel 13 can be assembled into the housing 17, and then the head piece 34 can be positioned. With this arrangement, the unit can be assembled and disassembled, and

the unit can also be inexpensively and readily manufactured in the manner described hereinafter.

The method of making the unit is that the housing wrapper 18 would be bent in its reversely curved scroll shape shown and of the conventional arrangement, somewhat like that shown in U. S. Pat No. 2,776,088, except for the inwardly directed end flanges shown on the housing scroll in said patent. The head or end piece 24 would be die stamped and shaped in the form seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. In order to provide the left-hand head or end piece 23, the central portion of one right-hand head piece 24 is severed so that the piece 24 appears substantially as seen in FIG. 3 having the large opening designated 39 where the central portion was severed from the piece 24. The severed portion is shown in FIG. 4 in the reversed position, that is with the piece seen in FIG. 4 turned around from its position which it is originally in as seen in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 therefore shows the piece 33 having been severed from the head 24 and reversed so that the pieces 33 and 36 can be releasably attached together, by means of the bolts 37 and nuts 38, to form the left-hand head 23, as it is seen in FIG. 1. In this method of manufacturing, only two die sets are required, rather than five die sets required by the prior method where the right-hand and left-hand end pieces were heretofore made and where they were utilized for the dual housing assemblies such as the two housings 17 shown in FIG. 1. Die set was required to make a lefthand end piece with a large opening, that is, where the dual housing assemblies, such as the two assemblies 17, are employed, with the method steps described herein, only two die sets are required, rather than five die sets which have been heretofore required, to make the two housings 17. Thus, the outer flanges 26 and 27 are faced as shown in FIG. 1, and the inner flanges 28 and 33 are always faced inwardly on the respective housings 17, as shown in FIG. 1. Also, the lefthand head 23, in both housings 17, has the reversed piece 33 so that the blower wheel 14 can relate insertably to the respective housing 17 through the opening 39 in the left-hand piece 23. Thus, where the dual housings are employed, one on each side of the motor and with both therefore being driven in the same direction of rotation, and with both having their outlets 22 on the same side, then the method of making the housing 17 can be accomplished with a fewer number of die sets and with a minimum amount of time and expense and effort, and yet have the wheels 13 and 14 easily mountable and accessible for repair, by virtue of the drop-out or removable center portion 34, as described.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of making a blower housing assembly comprising the steps of forming a blower housing wrapper to extend in a reversely curved shape and present two oppositely disposed sides for respectively attaching to a left-hand head and a right-hand head of said assembly, forming both said heads with an exterior periphery flange, for attaching to said housing wrapper, forming a centrally located opening in each of said heads and forming a second flange faced in the same direction as the first said flange, removing the central portion of one of said heads by severing said one head intermediate said flanges thereon, reversing said central portion on the severed said head to have said flanges thereon faced in opposite directions and attaching said reversed central portion in the severed opening to form the opposite handed head compared to the unsevered head, and attaching said heads to said housing wrapper in orientations to have said second flanges face toward each other.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the forming of both said heads is accomplished by stamping to provide both said flanges and said central opening on each said head, and severing said central portion by die punching.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said central portion is releasably attacted to the remainder of said head.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, including the steps of attaching threaded nuts to said severed head adjacent said severed opening, and inserting bolts into said nuts for the releasable attaching of said central portion.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blower assembly is a dual housing assembly having two said housings with each having a housing wrapper and a left-hand and a right-hand head, and including the steps of assembling said housings with the said severed opening being of a minimum size and on the same respective end of each of said two housings, and assembling said two housings with a driving motor intermediate said two housings for driving the fan wheel within the respective said housings, and having said severed opening being larger than the diameter of said fan wheel for removal of said fan wheel from each of said housings. 

1. A method of making a blower housing assembly comprising the steps of forming a blower housing wrapper to extend in a reversely curved shape and present two oppositely disposed sides for respectively attaching to a left-hand head and a right-hand head of said assembly, forming both said heads with an exterior periphery flange, for attaching to said housing wrapper, forming a centrally located opening in each of said heads and forming a second flange faced in the same direction as the first said flange, removing the central portion of one of said heads by severing said one head intermediate said flanges thereon, reversing said central portion on the severed said head to have said flanges thereon faced in opposite directions and attaching said reversed central portion in the severed opening to form the opposite handed head compared to the unsevered head, and attaching said heads to said housing wrapper in orientations to have said second flanges face toward each other.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the forming of both said heads is accomplished by stamping to provide both said flanges and said central opening on each said head, and severing said central portion by die punching.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said central portion is releasably attacted to the remainder of said head.
 4. The method as clAimed in claim 3, including the steps of attaching threaded nuts to said severed head adjacent said severed opening, and inserting bolts into said nuts for the releasable attaching of said central portion.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blower assembly is a dual housing assembly having two said housings with each having a housing wrapper and a left-hand and a right-hand head, and including the steps of assembling said housings with the said severed opening being of a minimum size and on the same respective end of each of said two housings, and assembling said two housings with a driving motor intermediate said two housings for driving the fan wheel within the respective said housings, and having said severed opening being larger than the diameter of said fan wheel for removal of said fan wheel from each of said housings. 